Baratza 585 Baratza Virtuoso Coffee Grinder

Since I have only had the Virtuoso for three months I will not discuss the long-term quality. Because I use it primarily for press pot, drip and small espresso batches I was not looking to get a solid consumer grinder, like the more expensive Rancilio Rocky or Mazzer Mini.

Previously I have owned a Starbucks Barista (the Solis verson, not the newer Saeco Titan verson) and the Capresso Infinity 560 Black. The Barista had a long and happy life, and after performing the hack (see coffeegeek.com), made great coffee and pretty good espresso. The Capresso was excellent for drip & press coffee, but only adequate for espresso. I would happily recommend each of these for people that just want a pretty solid cup of Joe, and do not mind it being slightly heated in the process. The Capresso was still running solidly, so do not infer it died early (it cheerfully grinds my wife's flax seeds very well now), I just wanted something better for my espresso shots.

After... Read more

I have had this grinder since March 2006. It grinds magnificently and is extremely well built. It is by far the cleanest grinder (no spewed grinds everywhere) I have had, and I have had MANY. I recently had an issue were a small rock somehow got into the grinder and caused the gears to strip. One call to customer service and they mailed me a replacement no questions asked! Fantastic!!!

As for the negative review prior to this- File it as uninformed. The grind catcher fits into the machine very snug, this is a good thing because it prevents the grinds from flying all over your countertop. The motor is very powerful (unless you try to grind rocks, see above) and grinds the beans with a low pitched growl. This is a terrific grinder with unparalleled customer support. I highy recommend this grinder.

I have had this grinder for over a year. It provides a very uniform grind over a wide range of settings. Recently, I had to adjust the grind calibration settings back to original spec by removing the hood & adjusting one screw. Instructions are on the web site, no problem. The grinder grinds again as when new. Quibbles: 1. When turned to the maximum setting, the timer does not keep the grinder grinding long enough to produce enough coffee for a twelve cup maker. You have to turn the timer again for more coffee. 2. Like a number of burr grinders I have used, the beans occasionally hang up in the feeder so that the grinder is running but no beans are being ground. This is more likely to happen with large and/or "candy" finished dark roast beans. Cleaning helps but does not eliminate this problem. Turning the grind adjustment ring to the max while the grinder is running clears up the stoppage, but it is an annoying glitch. Still, produces great coffee.